The indication of the busy or non-busy status of a telephone line has traditionally been accomplished by the telephone switching system to which the instrument is connected. Such an arrangement usually requires a multiwire connection between the telephone switching system and the instrument. Such systems are not normally utilized in residential use and may or may not be available to business users. Where the capability of providing a line status indication was available, it was primarily available only in telephones used in a business application associated with a private automatic branch exchange (PABX) or a key telephone system. Those telephone instruments capable of indicating line status particularly require extra hookswitch contacts, incandescent lamps and extra conductors in the line cord in order to establish the necessary connections to the PABX or Key Service Unit (KSU) which provide the status signals.